Burial-casket



(No Model.)

E. S. EARLEY.

BURIAL GASKBCL WITNE's'sEs;

N, PETEna Pmurlilhugmpmr. Waxhingxon. D. c.

EDVARD S. EARLEY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

BURlALnCASKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part; of Letters Patent No. 298,953, dated May 20, 1884. Application filed March 26, 1884. (No model.)

fo all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, EDWARD S. EIRLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing'in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Burial Cases or Gaskets, which' improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings, in whichn Figure l'is a plan view, partly broken away, of a burial case or casket embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly broken away.- Fig. 3 is a, vertical section in line fr x, Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

My invention consists of a method of making aburialcase or casket which is water and air tight, strong and durable, and preservative in its nature, as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the body of the case or casket, and B the lid thereof. The body and the lid are formed of pieces, a, of wood which is saturated with asphalt, coated inside and outside with paper, Z, known as felt paper,77 and an exterior coating of asphalt or other varnish. The bottom c ofthe body is similarly formed, excepting that the under side is well coated with pitch instead of varnish, said bottom being nailed or screwed to battens C, which are firmly secured to the body on the inside thereof near the lower end.

D represents battens which are firmly secured to the top of the body on the inside thereof, their upper faces being grooved or channeled, as at d, to receive the tongue d', formed on the under side of the lid B, the groove d being adapted to contain a proper iiuid or material for sealing the joint of the body and lid. Rising from the corners of the body are posts E, which rest on the bottom battens, C, and are in contact with the under side of the upper battens, D, thus assisting to sustain said battens, said post-s being secured to the sides of the body or to the upper and lower battens, or both. The battens and posts are coated with asphalt and covered with feltv paper; and the upper battens, if desired, are secured to the and lower ones, body by' bolts,

the openings in the body to receive the heads of said b'olts being countersunk and lled with asphalt or equivalent material to cover said heads. The body and lid are provided with catches, which may be self-fastening; but other means for connecting them may be adopted, it being desirable to force the lid tightly on the bottom and retain it in such condition and position to insure the sealingjoint.

In the manufacture of the case or casket, the wood is heated and coated with asphalt, some of which enters the pores thereof. The felt paper is then applied, and a hot iron or tool is passed over the paper, pressing the hot paper against the wood, whereby the asphalt on the surface of the wood saturates the paper, and thoroughly incorporates the said asphalt and the paper, and unites the same with the wood. As the wood is saturated with asphalt and coated with asphalt, with a covering of asphaltsaturated felt paper, 4some of the asphalt and the paper becoming almost homogeneous, it is evident that the wood is rendered exceedingly durable and preserved from the injurious effects of water, air, and ground, the joints being' close and tight, and preventing the entrance of water therethrough. The exterior coating of varnish serves both as a nish and an additional protection to the case or casket. The case or casket, owing to the nature of the saturation of the wood and coated paper, acts as a preservative, to the contents of the same.

The case or casket is more specially designed as an outer case and a substitute for expensive cedar boxes and vaults, while possessing the several advantages stated.

Havingthus described my inventiomwhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The method of protecting the body and lid of a burialcasket, consisting in forming the same of wood, heating the wood, coating it with asphalt, applying felt paper to the wood, and ruiming pressing the hot paper against the wood, whereby the wood and paper become saturated with asphalt, and the paper is united to the wood, the asphalt of the wood and of the paper becoming homogeneous, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

E. S. EARLEY. Witnesses:

JOHN A. Wnnnnsnrnlu, A. RGRANT.

a hotiron or tool over the paper,

IOO 

